Cardinal calls for end to compulsory celibacy

German Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising called for change in long-standing church tradition as the German bishops' conference prepares for a workshop debate to "review" the issue of celibacy for priests.

In his homily at New Year's Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady in Munich, Cardinal Marx said the church must, "in light of the failure" surrounding the clergy sex abuse crisis, modify tradition in response to changing modern times.

"I believe the hour has come to deeply commit ourselves to open the way of the church to renewal and reform," Cardinal Marx said, according to an audio of the homily posted on the archdiocesan website. "Evolution in society and historical demands have made tasks and urgent need for renewal clear to see."

50th Anniversary of the Advent Group

Created: 05 October 201805 October 2018

Next Year 1st December 2019, the Advent Group will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary when it first met at Spode House with Conrad Pepler in 1969. We would like to mark this occasion in some way by looking back at the past 50 years and also formally bringing to an end the work of the Advent Group. We could either do this as a day event or something more leisurely over a weekend. Providing an indication of interest would help us make a decision about the way forward.

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The National Council of Priests believes Pope Francis would approve a request from Australia’s bishops to allow married priests in remote parts of the country where the lack of priests is a critical and long-standing issue, council chairman Father James Clarke said after a conference last week which considered the royal commission findings.

Speaking to The Tablet, the Passionist priest, who is 50 years ordained next year, made his comments in the context of falling Mass attendances in Ireland and the lack of vocations to the priesthood. Referring to the drop in Mass attendance from over 90 per cent when Pope John Paul II visited Ireland in 1979, to 19 per cent in some urban areas today, he said that figure could be as low as 9 per cent if the older age group is excluded. “We have prayed for years, particularly in the western world, for an increase in vocations. We cannot say that God isn’t listening because we absolutely believe he is. But the vocations are not there, so maybe we are asking God for the wrong gift,” the 73-year-old said.